A butterfly's wing size could be affected by not getting enough food in the larva stage.
New research suggests high food stress could affect butterflies' wing size and coloration, a PLOS news release reported.
Monarch butterflies embark on a long migratory journey every year; this requires an enormous amount of energy. Proper nourishment in the larva stage is crucial in order to develop the appropriate characteristics (such as correct wing size) to make the long journey.
Researchers deprived late-stage monarch larvae of milkweed to see if how it affected their wing size and coloration. The larvae were split into three groups: "no food restriction, those with 24-hour food restriction (low-stress), or those with 48-hour restriction (high stress)," the news release reported.
After metamorphosis the researchers looked at "forewing length, width, and surface area, as well as the brightness of the orange wing pigment and the intensity of black pigment," the news release reported.
Researchers were not sure about the effect of milkweed depravation on wing shape and color, but it was found to cause a reduction in wing size of about two percent. The team found that larval food supply also affected the quality of wing pigmentation, but this finding will require further study in order to be confirmed.
"There is increasing scientific and public concern over the loss of milkweeds throughout the range of monarchs in North America. Our study provides some answers to what can happen when monarch caterpillars run low on food"
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE under the title "Does Skipping a Meal Matter to a Butterfly's Appearance? Effects of Larval Food Stress on Wing Morphology and Color in Monarch Butterflies." It was conducted by Haley Johnson from University of Jamestown and colleagues, the news release reported.
